Snapshot · Lex Fridman Podcast
Following the launch of Telegram Gifts six months prior to this recording, the TON blockchain became either the largest or second-largest blockchain by daily NFT trading volumes.
Where this was said
At 3:55:01 · chapter starts 3:52:45
The TON (The Open Network) blockchain originated in 2018-19 when Durov asked his brother Nikolai whether it was possible to build a blockchain that could inherently scale through sharding — splitting into smaller parallel chains — rather than hitting congestion limits like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Nikolai said yes, with effort, and they built it. The SEC blocked the initial token sale fundraise, forcing Telegram to abandon the project, which was then taken over by the open source community. The platform now underpins Telegram's username ownership system (usernames as NFTs on smart contracts, impossible for Telegram to confiscate), the channel revenue-sharing program (50/50 split with channel owners, paid in TON), and — most dramatically — Telegram Gifts [1] — Pavel Durov "Snoop Dogg gifts: $12M in 30 minutes: Telegram sold $12 million worth of Snoop Dogg digital gifts within 30 minutes of launch, demonstratin…" 3:57:27 . The Gifts represent what Durov frames as a reinvention of NFTs: not isolated digital assets in a wallet nobody can see, but blockchain-backed collectibles displayed next to your name in your Telegram profile, creating social relevance. The Snoop Dogg collection, featuring over 50 versions of each gift, sold $12 million worth of items in 30 minutes. Early gift collections that sold for $5 per item now trade at floor prices of approximately $10,000. The success has made TON one of the largest or second-largest blockchains by daily NFT trading volume within six months of launch.
Telegram charges third-party mini-app developers only a 5% commission on in-app transactions, significantly lower than typical app store fees, to encourage developer ecosystem growth.
Telegram Gifts are blockchain-based collectibles that live next to your name in your Telegram profile — not lost in some isolated wallet. Snoop Dogg gifts sold $12 million worth in 30 minutes, and original collections that launched at $5 per item now have a floor price of $10,000. This is what happens when art, engineering, and social relevance collide at billion-user scale.
Telegram sold $12 million worth of Snoop Dogg digital gifts within 30 minutes of launch, demonstrating the massive commercial potential of the Telegram Gifts platform.
About 15 years ago, Durov began donating sperm to help couples struggling with fertility, eventually leading to an estimated 100+ biological children he has never met. He's since updated his will to treat all biological children equally — they're entitled to a share of his estate once they can establish DNA, but receive nothing during his lifetime to preserve their drive.
Ad-based monetization works well for game apps where users spend extended time in-session, as seen with Grid and Wordle.
Tool-focused apps like PuffCount are poor candidates for ad monetization because users don't stay in-session long enough.
A hard paywall is a screen that blocks all app features unless the user pays or starts a free trial — it cannot be dismissed.
Mobile apps are primarily monetized through either ads (best for games) or in-app purchases/subscriptions (best for tools).
According to the episode, YouTube outperforms every other social platform for building trust and driving SaaS conversions.
Vasco stated that the majority of his app's user base came directly from his YouTube channel.
SEO Bot features a 'Boost My Domain Rating' button that routes users directly to Listing Bot, an example of in-product cross-selling.
The founder's entire product portfolio is AI-related, making it easier to package products attractively for directories.
The founder attached their SaaS demo to the trending debate about whether AI coding is actually good enough to build a full SaaS product.
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